At its May 22, 2024 meeting, The Hampton Elementary School Board of Education approved a revision to its proposed 2024-2025 budget. The proposed revised budget of $2,179,600 reflects a 1.84%, or $39,312, increase over the 2023-2024 budget. While the originally approved budget reflected an increase of 3.52% over current spending, school officials reduced the original requests submitted to the Board of Education through cost cutting measures. Driving the budget increase are the costs associated with contractual obligations and a new collective bargaining agreement, other compensation rates, special education, and general operating expenses. These items contribute to the largest portion of the budget reach and are not discretionary. The current reimbursement rates from the Federal and State governments do not adequately cover the costs of many of these increases.
Reductions to the originally proposed budget were achieved through decreases in salary, legal fees, and the school supply lines. Hampton Elementary School will be further auditing its inventory of supplies so that existing materials are exhausted before seeking replacement items. Staffing levels, including paraprofessionals, remain flat despite an increase in mandated services, and cost savings were achieved through the analysis of student groups and associated schedule adjustments. Additional cost savings were achieved through the elimination of contractual housekeeping services and the proposed hiring of part time after-hours cleaners. While any cost cutting measures are significant and painful, school officials were able to prioritize the needs of the students, families, and staff in order to ameliorate some of the impacts.
The budget allows us to continue to:
• Fund all current staff at 2023-2024 levels;
• Develop staff capacity with regards to special education and intervention supports, thereby preserving investments in future cost savings through enhanced professional practices, protocols, and procedures;
• Purchase necessary classroom materials for literacy and numeracy; and
• Implement the critical work related to the implementation of the Science of Reading.
The budget enables Hampton Elementary School to implement a high level of instruction for its students and its focus on creating a supportive and nurturing learning environment. The projected enrollment remains consistent with that of the 2023-2024 school year.
Andrew Skarzynski, Superintendent